Electric connecting device



Dec., 32 E950 F. G. BAC

ELECTRIC CCNNECTINC DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Jan. 24, 1947 INVENTCR. HERA/M0 E50/MEER:

Dem. 12 H950 Filed Jan. 24, 1947 F. G. BAC

ELECTRIC CONNECTING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 llll llllHH H INVENTOR. 5mn/,qw 5gg/ 1555 5H:

Patented Dec. l2, 1950 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE lELECTRIC 'CQNNECTING DEVICE' .Fernand Georges Bac, Paris, France Application January 24, 1947, Serial No. 724,094 lIn France November 3, 1.944

( Cl. 11S-+353) .12 Claims.. l

The present invention relates to electric connecting devices comprising resilient plugs or sockets.

Known devices of such a typ-e usually have the drawback of either insuringtoo small la connecting area or number of contact points, or

eing too complicated or cumbersome- According to the present invention, suchV drawbacks are avoided by building the resilient crontact member-plug or socket-out of a series of resilient slit rings, preferably conically shaped, piled or nested coaxially and kep-t in place by a clamping device or by Welding.

The connection members according to the invention are fully described hereafter, with reference to the appended drawings in which:

Fig. l is a fragmentary sectional view of a plug and socket type connector.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view generally similar to Fig. 1.

Fig 3 is a fragmentary sectional View of another forni` of the plug and socket type connector.

Fig. 4 is generally similar to Fig. S.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary, sectional View of a plug and socket connector of a modified form.

Figl 6 is a sectional View of a plug and socket type connector generally similar to Fig. 5.

Fig. '7 is a sectional View oi one form of connector.

Fig. 8 is a rectangular cut-out of a sheet from which a connector element can be formed.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view of an assembled male type connector.

Fig. l is an end view looking from the top 0i Fig. 9.

Fig. l1 is a sectional View of a socket type contacter.

Fig, l2 is an end View looking from the bottom of Fig. 11.

The plug shown at Fig. l consists of a. series ofirusto-conical rings `comprising one continuous part l and a section 2 open according to a wider angle than the 'former and carrying a number of slots, for instance four, diametrically opposite one another and following the genera.- trix of the cone. Said rings are piled' up on one another onto a rod 3, sections I being clamped onto one another by spreading the end llv of rod 3. The thus'built plug cooperates with a rigid socket the inner diameter of which is slightly smaller than that o the larger base of the truste-conical sections` 2.

When the plug is pressed into the socket, the frfusto-conieal sections are resiliently squeezed necting surface.

-by means-of awasher Gfand a nutzt.

and insure a perfect connection, the connecting surfaces between plug and Socket. 5 being thus multiplied without the overall; dimension of .the plug being greater than thosev of any usual plug.

In the plug shown at Fig. 2,k sections `I ,and l2 of the frusto-conical rings efect inverted Conicities, said rings, thus forming a kind of trough, .which makes it possible. to decrease the 4length of the plug without however modifying` the Acon- The clamping of the rings lis insured by a conical 4washer and. a. nut l screwed: onto ,the threaded end of rod 3.

The socket shown at Fig. 3 was built by piling up or nesting `frusto-,conical rings, with, two conicities, comprising a section .9 which has the smaller` angle .and forms a continuous ring, and a section le, with a larger conical angle,an d comprising, like the sectionZ of the rings iorrn.- ing the plugs shown at Figs. 1 and 2, slots ,H directed along the generatrix of the cone. Sections ilI a` e piled into o-ne another and connected by a welded bead l2. The thus formed unit is supported; by arnernber comprising a conicalpart intov which. the last ring :Sc is engaged (said ring being.connected with` part 1,3` by a Welded bead 92a) and a threaded cylindrical part i4 which makes it possible to fasten it on a corre,- sponding sup-port. The `thus built socket coopcrates with. a plugl 125,. the .diameter .of Which is slightly larger than the inner diameterv ci the smaller Vbase of the trusts-conical rings Ill. The operation is similar to that of the above de.- scribed, plugs, the introduction of plug H35 into the socket entailing a slight opening 0i rings` t0, which` brings about a perfect vconnection Vbetween-'the plug and .the-socket.

porting member being in its turn clamped upon an insulating or metallic support I6.

The plug shown at Fig- 5 consists or a series of resilient rings, preferably s tamped',.-compris ing acylindrical section iand: a conical section 12, both said parts being provided, .with slots, for

instance four diametricallyfopposite slots, extending on part ofv the length of the generatrix of said sections. Saidl rings aref-piled. up. or nested on.v oneanotheronto a rod ".31 and: pressed Thefree andslit edge `of each cylindrical: section i"is thus clamped between rod` 3 and. the conicalI part 3 2 of the next ring, which ensures a perfect electrical connection between the various elements of the unit.

In the example shown at Fig. 6, the resilient rings are formed of two cylindrical sections i' and 2 connected by a frusto-conical section 8' and provided, like sections i' and 2 in the preceding example, with longitudinal slots. In order to further increase the connection between section 2 of the rings and corresponding socket 5, the free edge of said section forms a bead which may be full, as at 2a, in the case of turned or forged rings, or rolled up, as at 2b and 2c, in the case of stamped rings.

In all the above mentioned devices, it is possible to limit the possible flexion of the resilient parts to such a value that the yield stress shall never be reached, in order to avoid any risk of permanently deforming the elements when said parts are completely squeezed. For this purpose, the annular space comprised between parts l and 2 or 2 or between parts 9 and I0 or I0 of two neighbouring elements should be chosen as small as possible. In the case of plugs, it is also possible to limit the flexion through limiting the width of the slots provided in the contact rings.

The operating safety achieved by the great number of contact points makes it possible to build resilient plugs or sockets out of light alloys (aluminium alloys), which offer the advantage of lightness, or out of steel, which is more economical and wears out less, as well as out of copper alloys.

The plug shown at Fig. 7 consists of turned conical elements which comprise a relatively thin section 41 chamfered at 48, in which slots 49 are machined, said section being followed up by another thicker section G which comprises a cylindrical bore 5I with the same diameter as rod 52 on which the elements are assembled. The latter are piled up on said rod and pressed against each other by any of the above mentioned means such as by nut 52A forcing the elements into squeezing relationship against shoulder 52B, slots 53 being provided in the base of section 5D of each element in order to ensure a resilient pressure on the rod.

Such a manner of manufacture entails complicated machining processes which necessitate an important loss of metal; such drawbacks are avoided in the building of elements described hereafter.

Said elements are manufactured starting from a roll-milled metal sheet out of which a rectangle (Fig. 8) is cut out, at least one of the larger sides of which bears slots 54 made parallel with the direction of rolling. Said rectangle is then rolled up in the shape of a cylinder, then pressed back or stamped in order to obtain either a male element such as that shown at Figs. 9 and 10, or a female element such as shown at Figs. 11 and l2. Said elements comprise a cylindrical part 55, followed up with a conical section 5S, the total length of said two sections substantially corresponding to that of slots 54, then a second cy1in drical section 51, the inner diameter (for the male element) or the outer diameter (for the female element) respectively correspond to the outer and inner diameter of the rod or tube for assembling the elements, said members being shown in dot-dash lines at 58 and 58a.

The resilient elements according to the invention are pressed on the rod or inside the tube by means of an annular spring 59 placed either (Figs. 9 and 10), around the cylindrical section 4 51 in order to press the latter on the assembling rod, either (Figs. 11 and 12) inside the same section 51, in order to expand the latter and press it inside the assembling tube.

When manufacturing female elements, the slots 54 provided in the rolled flange are preferably widened as shown in dot-dash lines at 54a in Fig. 8, in order to avoid excessive tightening of said slots when the conical section of the elements is shaped.

Shorter slots may be provided on the side opposite to slots 54, as shown in dot-dash lines at 60 in Fig. 8, in order to impart a certain resiliency to the cylindrical section 51 of the male or female elements and to improve thus the tightening on the assembling rod or inside the assembling tube.

What I claim is:

1. In an electric coupling having a plug and socket, a contactor for connecting said plug and socket comprising a plurality of rings, each of said rings having a `frusto-conical portion, said rings being nested one within the other with a frustoconical portion of one ring making direct contact with the next ring, surfaces of the rings remote from the aforementioned direct contacting portion providing a series of peripheral contacts between a plug and socket, and means connecting said rings together in squeezing relationship to each other.

2. In an electric coupling having a plug and socket, a contactor for connecting said plug and socket comprising a plurality of rings, each of said rings having a frusto-conical portion, said rings being nested one within the other with a frusto-conical portion of one ring making direct contact with the next ring, surfaces of the rings remote from the aforementioned direct contacting portion having a plurality of slots therein and providing a series of peripheral contacts between a plug and socket, and means connecting said rings in squeezing relationship to each other.

3. In an electric coupling having a plug and socket, a contactor for connecting said plug and socket comprising a plurality of rings with frustoconical contractile portions, said rings being nested one within the other with a frusto-conical portion of one ring making direct contact with a frusto-conical portion of another ring, the surfaces of said rings remote from said portions in direct contact providing a series of peripheral contacts between a plug and socket, and means connect-ing said rings in squeezing relationship to each other.

4. In an electric coupling having a plug and socket, a contactor for connecting said plug and socket comprising a plurality of rings with frustoconical contractile portions, and means holding said rings in series with a part of said frustoconical portions in direct contact, said rings being nested one within the other so as to exert a squeezing action on one another, surfaces of said rings remote from said portions in direct contact providing a series of peripheral contacts between a plug and socket.

5. In an electric coupling having a plug and socket, a contactor for connecting said plug and socket comprising a plurality of intel-fitting rings mounted on a plug, said rings having a relatively thin frusto-concal section with slots therein and a relatively thicker section substantially continuing the same frustum of the said frusto-conical section, said thicker section having a cylindrical central bore therein for mounting on said plug.

6. In an electric coupling having a plug and socket', a contactor for connecting said plug and socket comprising a plurality of rings with frustoconical contractile portions, said frusto-conical portions being nested one within the other so as to make direct contact with each other, said rings having a relatively thin portion with slots cut therein, and a relatively thick portion with a cylindrical bore therethrough, said relatively thin portions providing a Series of peripheral contacts between a plug and socket.

7. In an electric coupling having a plug and socket, a contactor carried by a plug comprising a plurality of rings with a cylindrical bore therethrough, said cylindrical bores being engageable with said plug, said rings being frusto-conically shaped and nested one within the other so as to make direct contact with each other, the surfaces of said rings remote from said nested portions providing a series of peripheral contacts between a plug and socket, and means connecting said rings in squeezing relationship.

8. In an electric coupling having a plug and socket, a contactor for connecting said plug and socket comprising a plurality of rings with frustoconical contacter portions in which the rings are nested one within the other so as to make direct contact with each other, said rings having a second frusto-conical portion with an apex angle different from the first mentioned frustoconical section, the frusto-conical portions of said rings with the smaller apex angle serving to make 1 direct contact with each other and the frustoconical portions of said rings with the greater apex angle providing a series of peripheral contacts between a plug and socket.

9. In an electric coupling having a plug and socket, a contactor for connecting said plug and socket comprising a plurality of rings with frustoconical contacter portions in which the rings are nesting one within the other so as to make direct contact with each other, said rings having a second frusto-conical portion with an apex angle diierent from the rst mentioned frusta-conical section, the frusto-conical portions of said rings with the smaller apex angle serving to make direct contact with each other and the frustoconical portions of said rings with the greater apex angle providing a series of peripheral contacts between the plug and socket, the frustoconical portions being inverted relative to each other.

10. In an electric coupling having a plug and socket, a plug comprising a rod, a plurality of 6 rings, each of said rings having a frusto-ccnical portion, said rings being mounted on said rod and nested one within the other with a frustoconical portion oi one ring making direct contact with the next ring and with said rod, surfaces of said rings remote from said direct contacting portion providing a series of peripheral contacts between the plug and the socket, said rings being connected together in squeezing relationship to each other.

11. In an electric coupling having a plug and a socket, a contacter for connecting said plug and socket comprising a plurality of rings, each of said rings having a frusto-conical portion, said rings being nested one Within the other with a frusto-conical portion of one ring making direct contact with the next ring, the contacting portion of said rings being slotted and surfaces of said rings remote from said direct contacting portion providing a series of peripheral contacts between a plug and socket, said rings being connected together in squeezing relationship to each other.

12. In an electric coupling having a plug and socket, a plug comprising a rod, a plurality of rings, each of said rings having a frusto-conical portion, said rings being mounted on said rod and nested one within the other with a frustoconical portion of one ring making direct contact with the next ring, the contacting portion of said rings being slotted and surfaces of the rings remote from said direct contacting portion providing a series of peripheral contacts between the plug and socket, said rings being connected together in squeezing relationship t0 each other.

FERNAN'D GEORGES BAC.

REFERENCE S CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 969,676 Tomlinson Sept. 6, 1910 2,426,429 Bels Aug. 26, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 844,859 France of 1939 855,711 France Feb. 19, 1940 888,044 France Feb. 19, 1942 

